Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for cooling a portion of a person's body. More particularly, this invention relates to a cooling device which can be secured around a body part to absorb energy from the body upon initiating an endothermic reaction within a cavity of the device.
Description of Related Art
Overheating and body temperature fluctuations are common sources of discomfort. Such discomfort can arise as a result of, for example, exercising, illness, or certain medical conditions such as menopause, to name but a few. When one experiences such feelings, it is common to bring a cool surface into contact with the body. The cool surface can act to absorb energy from the body and provide an immediate sense of relief from the discomfort caused by overheating and body temperature fluctuations.
Devices that are useful for such purposes are known in the art. These devices are sometimes referred to as “cold packs.” One type of cold pack is an instant cold pack, which uses an endothermic reaction that is initiated by mixing together chemical reagents contained in separate portions of the pack. Another type of cold pack is a reusable cold pack, which often contains a gel material that can be cooled and/or frozen by placing it in a refrigerator or freezer and then removed from the refrigerator or freezer for use. Conventional phase change systems also can be used as cold packs, the most common example of which would be water, which can change between a solid, when cold, and a liquid, when warm.
Attempts have been made to utilize existing cold pack technology for different applications. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,131 to Kahout is directed to an absorbent ice bag that can be regenerated in situ. By way of another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,836 to Islava is directed to a thermal dressing that can be used to attach a cold pack to a patient's body. By way of yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,030 to De Canto is directed to a collar apparatus that retains a hot or cold pack insert.
Despite the efforts to date, the existing cool packs are often cumbersome to use, expensive to manufacture, and/or fail to stay securely in contact with a body part.